Only a Fraction of Candidates Competing in the General Election Are Women

Kansas City, MO -- Following this past Tuesday's primary election in Missouri, Women's Foundation conducted an analysis on the state of women candidates in Missouri. Women's Foundation reviewed the unofficial election results data from the Office of Missouri Secretary of State, looking at the primary election contest winners who will be competing on the ballot in November. The findings include the following:

● In November's general election, of the Missouri federal and state candidates on the ballot combined, 22%, or fewer than one in four, of candidates are women.

● To break these numbers down further, no women will be on the ballot for the office of U.S. Senate and only four of 14 candidates (29%) for statewide offices are women.

● Three (3) of 16 candidates running for the U.S. Congress are women, two of whom are incumbents.

● Four (4) of 30 (13%) candidates running for state senate seats this cycle are women; three of whom are incumbents.

● Fifty-seven (57) of 247 candidates (22%) who will be on the ballot competing for a state representative seat are women.

This past Tuesday's election did mark one historic benchmark for women, as Robin Smith became the first African-American woman nominated by a major party for statewide office in Missouri.

Women’s Foundation promotes equity and opportunity for women of all ages, using research, philanthropy, and policy solutions to make meaningful change. In 2015, they released the Status of Women in Missouri research study, the findings of which included that women are vastly underrepresented in the General Assembly. In 2014, their Civic Engagement research highlighted the gender gap on boards and commissions and helped spur the Women's Foundation Appointments Project to help remove barriers for women to serve.